


bed time

by jedormis (dottie_wan_kenobi)



Series: la folie verses: World 3 [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Children, Dick Grayson is a good dad, Dick and Kory rule Tamaran, Dick is a stay at home dad basically, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Jason Todd is mentioned - Freeform, Past Violence, as are other characters, but mostly Kory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 05:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18844264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dottie_wan_kenobi/pseuds/jedormis
Summary: First, Dick passes by the door to Mar’i’s room. He knocks and slowly pushes the door open, revealing his fifteen year old daughter already curled up in bed. Even now, it’s kind of shocking to see how much she resembles Kory, while still being obviously his daughter with her dark hair and skin.“Hey dad,” she says, not looking up from her book. It’s a little far away, but he recognizes it’s one of the ones he brought from Earth when they moved here. No Tamaranean books have covers like that. “Bed time already?”“Yup. Don’t stay up too late reading, alright, starshine?”





	bed time

**Author's Note:**

> Idk I couldn't stop thinking about Dick as a king, tho tbh he's more like a prince consort than an actual king here
> 
> Tamarus is the capital of Tamaran according to the wikia and I assume that's where they'd live idk
> 
>  **Can be read as a standalone but I encourage reading the other fics in the** la folie verses: world 3 **series to give this fic more context!!**
> 
> also please go check out [Jake as kurawastaken draws him](https://kurawastaken.tumblr.com/tagged/jake-grayson) because he's so precious and I was picturing him looking like that while I was writing this :')

###  Tamarus-3, August 24th, 9:34 PM (Earth Time)

Dick sighs deeply as he stands, rolling his neck and shoulders. Even after all these years, he’s unused to the strain caused by his regalia and jewelry. The weight, both physical and metaphorical, rest heavily on him.

Of course, this is Kory’s show. While his title  _ is  _ king, the people of Tamaran defer to the Queen with most matters, and not just because she’s actually Tamaranean and he isn’t. The legacy of the previous queen, his sister-in-law Komand’r, has made their society more accustomed to strong female leaders. Dick still has the respect of the people, but he’s made very few big decisions by himself. Kory tries to involve him as much as possible, usually by having him join meetings with other leaders, but honestly? He likes it this way.

These meetings drag on far too long for his taste.

Kory comes to his side, just as dressed up as he is, but much more accustomed to it all. They embrace, a hug that doesn’t last nearly as long as he’d like, but even on a planet which values love a tremendous amount, royals have to stick to certain rules. This one is archaic, but the Tamaraneans also value their history, so he and Kory play along.

When they pull away, he can’t help but press a kiss to her cheek. “Time for bed?”

Kory brushes her hair behind her ear, nodding. Her eyes drift to the moons outside the great window in this room. “Time for bed. Good luck, my love.”

Chuckling, he thanks her, promising, “I’ll see you after?”

“Of course. Now go, or they’ll get impatient.” She smiles at him and walks off, towards their rooms, leaving him to go in a slightly different direction.

First, Dick passes by the door to Mar’i’s room. He knocks and slowly pushes the door open, revealing his fifteen year old daughter already curled up in bed. Even now, it’s kind of shocking to see how much she resembles Kory, while still being obviously his daughter with her dark hair and skin.

“Hey dad,” she says, not looking up from her book. It’s a little far away, but he recognizes it’s one of the ones he brought from Earth when they moved here. No Tamaranean books have covers like that. “Bed time already?”

“Yup. Don’t stay up too late reading, alright, starshine?”

Turning the page, she replies, “Yessir.” A beat later, “Love you. Goodnight.”

“Love you too. Sweet dreams,” he coos, laughing at the face she makes. With that, he moves on down the hall, unsurprised to find the lights still on in Jake’s room as well.

When he knocks, Jake calls, “Come in!”

Dick does and leans against the doorway, watching with a smile as Jake tends to the garden in his window. It’s nowhere near as extensive as Kory’s main garden is, but it doesn’t need to be. The few plants he has are mostly for the smell, tinting the fresh air with a soft sweetness that has always sent Jake straight to sleep. Even now, at eleven, he likes to have them there. Like he does every other night, Dick asks, “How’re they doing?”

Jake explains in careful detail all the things one needs but not the others, and how this or that one is doing this or that thing. While he does, he waters them, somehow managing not to get any on his pajamas. Dick listens and asks questions when appropriate, but once it’s done, he herds Jake into bed. Grateful his only son still allows him to tuck him in, he presses a kiss to the boy’s forehead.

“Goodnight, Jake,” he says, brushing his hair back gently. It’s dark like Dick’s, too, but he also takes more after Kory than he does his dad. “Remember, if you wake up in the night, come get me and Mom, okay?”

“Okay dad.” Jake yawns and rolls over, wishing him a goodnight back.

He leaves quietly, leaving the door a sliver open. A peek back down the hall reveals Mar’i’s lights are off, but the last occupied room still has theirs on. Already thinking up stories, he goes to it, knocking but not waiting to be allowed in.

Of course, he finds their youngest daughters sitting in their beds, pretending they weren’t just flying around. A’riel, the older of the two at only six years old, immediately denies, “We weren’t flying! We were just waiting for you to come and tuck us in.” Remi, five, nods sagely like she thinks her sister has him sold.

“Yeah, uh-huh. And there are papers all over the floor because…?” He has to bite back a laugh as neither of them can think up a good excuse. “Girls, you know the rules. No flying without me, your mom, or your sister with you.”

“Sorry, Daddy,” they both mumble, much more sorry they got caught than about breaking the rule. He lets it slide for now, wanting to go to bed himself by this point. What is it with Tamaraneans and waking up with their sun?

After making sure they’ve brushed their teeth, he tucks in Remi first, then A’riel. The next step in their routine is a story, so he heads towards their bookshelf, thinking  _ The Tamaranean Princess _ would be a good one tonight.

No such luck, though. Before he gets all the way there, Remi asks, “Can you tell us ‘bout your family, pleaseeee?” Immediately after, A’riel joins in too, their voices raising excitedly.

_ X’hal damn it _ , he thinks, pasting on a smile and sitting at the foot of A’riel’s bed. They always want to hear about his brothers and sisters, none of whom he’s seen since he left Earth fourteen years ago. He and Babs still keep in contact, and occasionally Tim sends him messages, but that’s about it. It hurts to think it’s been so long since he’s spoken to Steph and Damian, and to a lesser extent, Bette and Carrie who had just joined the family as Dick was leaving it.

“What would you like?” He asks instead of telling them, as he’s told Mar’i and Jake, that he doesn’t like to talk about his family. The older two know why, at least. But how do you explain to your young children about that night? About what happened?

“Ice c’eam!” Remi squeals. It’s her favorite story. Of course, A’riel agrees with her, and he’s stuck reliving one of the last good days before Jason died. He tells them about how his brother would eat any kind of ice cream, even pistachio and lemon and this weird, gourmet watermelon type that tasted like cold, thick water. Tells them how he dared Jason to eat too much, leading him to throw up all over Alfred’s nice carpets.

The whole time, he can’t get the image of the last time he ever saw Jason out of his head. His brother,  _ Little Wing _ , insane off pit madness and brain damage, Jim Gordon’s blood on his hands.

Jeez. The things he does for his kids.

When the story is over, he wishes the girls goodnight, turns out their lights, and dredges to his and Kory’s bed. She’s waiting up for him, a hand on the slight curve of her belly, and when she sees the look on his face, she asks, “Ice cream?”

“Ice cream,” he confirms, hurrying to take off all his royal garments, and leaving them in an ill-advised heap. Once he falls into bed, Kory snuggles up into him, resting his hand on a spot between her shoulders that he massages gently.

They’re both silent for long moments, just listening to the wind outside blow through the chimes. Kory rubs circles over his heart, whispering, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Kor,” he says, holding her closer.

  
  
  


Jason haunts his dreams, of course. Has to be an asshole even from the beyond.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kinda iffy on the other girls' names but honestly whatever, Tamaranean naming conventions aren't real anyways lmao
> 
> Lemme know what you guys think <3


End file.
